


Night Terrors

by for_darkness_shows_the_stars



Series: What Comes After [18]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, GUYS, Gen, Izumi casually roasting sokka in the background, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, do you remember how terrifiyng katara was in the first few minutes of the puppetmaster, except it's on HER CHILDREN this time, no not the bloodbending, she uses her terrifying powers again, the storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_darkness_shows_the_stars/pseuds/for_darkness_shows_the_stars
Summary: Katara tells the scariest bedtime stories.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: What Comes After [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981828
Comments: 9
Kudos: 81





	Night Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching the Puppetmaster, and this just ... happened.

Mama’s voice didn’t sound like her _at all_ , all deep and scratchy and throaty.

Izumi buried her face into Papa’s pyjamas. His arm was wrapped snugly around her shoulders, keeping her safe from monsters and ghouls and other scary things.

Mama and Papa’s bedroom was completely dark, except for the thin wax candle Mama kept in front of her. It made light and shadow dance over the smooth planes of her face. She didn’t _look_ like Mama now, she looked scary.

It was Izumi who had lit the candle. She regretted it now. (Mama wasn’t a firebender like she and Papa were, so when she extended the candle to Izumi, Izumi focused _really hard_ and the white wick burst into flame. Mama and Papa both hugged her then and told her how proud they were.)

When she and Kya came padding into their parents’ bedroom and demanded a bedtime story, Mama said she’d tell them a _scary_ story. She was so good at telling scary stories, she told them, that she could _always_ make Uncle Sokka scream.

Izumi wanted to prove that she was braver than Uncle Sokka. Uncle Sokka was _silly_.

Papa had agreed, when she said so. Mama was a bit offended, but Izumi thought she agreed too. She only _felt_ like she had to defend Uncle Sokka’s honour because he was her brother.

Now Papa was rubbing circles into Izumi’s back. On his other side, Kiki whimpered. Her voice was muffled, so she must have been hiding in Papa’s pyjamas too.

“When they got there, there was no-one home. Just a fire, flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, your Grandma stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice.” Mama’s eyes went wide, and when she spoke again, her voice was high and shaky, and _scary_. “ _It’s_ _so cold and I can’t get warm!_ ”

Kiki whimpered again, and Izumi fisted her hands in the silk of Papa’s sleep robe.

“Grandma turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue … like she was frozen. Grandma ran outside for help, but when everyone came back, Nini was gone.”

Papa’s fingers threaded Izumi’s hair like he knew she liked. She felt the rumble of his chest as he asked Mama, “What happened to her?”

Mama _still_ sounded scary. “No-one knows,” she said carefully. “Nini’s house was still empty when your Uncle Sokka and I returned from the War, but sometimes, we could see smoke coming up from the chimney. Like little Nini is still trying to get warm.”

It was Izumi who whimpered this time.

“Okay, girls,” Papa said. “We will never doubt that Mama can be scary again.” She _felt_ Papa inhale and exhale deeply more than she _saw_ the sconces blaze with new flames. But she still would not leave the comfort of Papa’s touch.

“Time for bed,” Mama said, sounding like herself again.

Izumi didn’t move. Neither did Kya.

“Girls?” Papa asked, shifting his arms a bit. Kya whimpered again. Izumi just held tighter onto him.

Mama chuckled.

“There’s no reason to be scared,” Papa told them. “It was just a story, it’s not real. Right, my love?”

“That’s right,” said Mama. “Just a story, nothing to be afraid of. Besides, have you ever seen a snowstorm in the Fire Nation?”

Izumi had not, but she was only five, so she definitely would not dare rely on her own experiences in this case.

Papa sighed. “Do you want to stay here with us tonight?”

Izumi nodded into his clothes.

“All right,” Mama said.

“And leave the lights on!” Kiki demanded.

“Okay,” Papa said, chuckling. “But then how will we get any sleep?”

Kiki shrugged.

The sconces were still lit when Papa turtleduck-kissed her and Kya’s forehead, and they settled into bed. Izumi fell asleep with Mama’s arms wrapped around her belly and covers pulled all the way over her head.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/stars-and-darkness)


End file.
